Blatter may seek to stay as FIFA boss, source tells Swiss paper

GENEVA (Reuters) - Sepp Blatter may seek to stay on as the president of FIFA, a Swiss newspaper quoted an anonymous source close to Blatter as saying on Sunday. The report comes less than two weeks after Blatter resigned as head of the world soccer organization.

The Schweiz am Sonntag newspaper said it had information that Blatter had received messages of support from African and Asian soccer associations, asking him to rethink his decision to step down.

Blatter was honored by the support and had not ruled out remaining in office, the anonymous source told the paper.

FIFA did not immediately reply to an emailed request from Reuters for comment on the newspaper story.

Blatter said on June 2 he would step down as FIFA president in the wake of a corruption investigation, having led soccer's world governing body since 1998.

FIFA is expected to pick his replacement at an emergency meeting in Zurich in December.

Blatter's renewed interest in the job was also a reason for the departure of Walter de Gregorio as FIFA's director of communications, since he had argued for a completely new start and advised Blatter to go, the Swiss newspaper said.